Alabama

YOUR VIEW: No reason to have special session

With all of the pre-November election debate about how Democrats were wasting taxpayers' money and how there needed to be change in Alabama politics after 136 years, a special session for ethics reform in December would be more of the same. Let me explain how.

After the election, there are 66 Republican members in the Alabama House of Representatives and 22 Republican members in the Alabama Senate. These totals represent a supermajority, meaning whatever legislation Republicans offer to each body, there is absolutely nothing Democrats can do to stop them from passing it and sending it to Gov. Robert Bentley for his signature.

The proposed special legislative session to be called by outgoing Gov. Bob Riley regarding ethics reform would waste between $300,000 to $500,000 of the public's tax dollars. It will take between seven and 10 days of wasted revenue and members' time to pass legislation that can be passed in the regular session in March.

Remember, the Republicans have a supermajority in both bodies, the governor's mansion, the state Supreme Court, all statewide elected offices, etc. This means, again, they have the ability and will do whatever they want and need to do whenever they desire over the next four years.

To waste taxpayers' dollars in a special session is absurd when the first seven days of the regular session can be devoted to ethics and anything else the Republicans desire. The request by news outlets has to be self-serving. The votes will be there to pass ethics reform in the regular session with the support of both Democrats and Republicans.